Feed control mechanism



J. H. WEBSTER FEED CONTROL MECHANISM Oct. 26, 1937.

Filed D80. 8, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. I Jose 06. f7. M/ebs/erf IBYGD 47 W. m m

Patented Oct. 26, 19 37 A i vram) con'raor. MECHANISM Joseph 11. Webster, mvmiae caiafasagnorto Food Machinery Corporation, Jose, Calm,

a -corporation of Delaware? Application .8, 1936, Serial No. 114,154 f 9 Claims- (01. 198-31) 2 This invention relates generally to apparatus 4 for handling articles such boxes, crates, and

the like, and more particularly to an improved conveyor feed control mechanism for interrupt- 5. ing the feed 01 articles where an indiscriminate article flow. is changed toan article-by-article teed, so that overfeeding-to the article-by-article part or the apparatuswill not occur.

7 It is a general object of th invention to pro vide an improved feed control-mechanism oithe character. referred to, which interrupts the flow of articles ;in;a simple yet positive-manner.

Another object of. the invention is to provide a feed control mechanism of the character re- 18 ferredwhich, while positive initsoperation,

handls the articles gently when thegflow is in: terrupted, so. as to avoid-injury to articles of a more or less fragile nature. I I o Other objects will appear vasthe description I) progresses with referencefto the accompanying drawings, in which:

1 Fig. 1 is. a fragmentary sectional elevation of a box stacking machine-employing the improved feed control mechanism of my invention as ap- 26, plied tosuch machines. @the'mechanism being shown in theposition occupied thereby when the.

boxtrapis empty.- I a Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. 1 but illustrates the feed control mechanism. as-positioned with o box m ne trap. I

Fig. 3 is. a fragmentary plan view of the nit-' chine with the feed control mechanism positioned as in Fig. 1. v

' Fig. .4? is ,a transversesectional elevation of the machine with the feed control mechanism posi-.

tioned as in .Fig., ';1 the view being taken in a plane indicated .by theline 4-1 of Fig. 3.

The improved ieedicontrol mechanism of invention canbe employed in various types of- 40 article handling apparatus, but I have chosen to v illustratethe mechanism as embodied in a box stacking machine; of the character disclosed in the co-pending application otHarOld C. Pierce, 7 Serial No. 735,575, filed July 17,1934. 7 Only the x parts'ofthe box stacking machine which are considered necessary or desirable to the understanding oi the construction and operation 'of my, improved conveyor feedfcontrol mechanism are disclosed herein, itbeing considered unnecessary to illustrate the construction of more or less unrelated parts of the box stacking machine which do not afiect the operation of the conveyor teed control mechanism.

The'box stacking machine includes a trap dc;

livery conveyor meansindicated generally at II,-

which is ,.adapted= "to deliverf -"articles as cratescr boxes l2 into a trap generallyindicated, at l3. Trapi3 is of--.conventional ='construction and operates in a .well-known' mannerwto deposit automatically the articles received-therein 5' onto a lowerator or platform generally indicated at H. Thelowerator move'sdownwardly instep by step, manneras the articles are stacked there-' onuntil a'iull stack of articlesislreceived,,aiter which thefstackmay;be removed inzanyrsuitable 1o manner, thelowerator being-returned to the po sition illustratediin Fig. I to a receiveanother stack.. v

The trap deiivery'conveyorameans -liflincludes a' pair "of side yrails IGrWhicharesuitably sup l6 ported atgthex desired elevation with reference to. the trap, and constitutethes-support for'the vari=- ous parts of the trap delivery conveyor means.

The conveyor means perzse may'comprise two One of such-conveyors is:

chain type conveyors. positioned to receive articles atJthe-feed end or the'trapdelivery conveyor means; and may com in the side rails. The upper stretches ois the: chains 2| are supported and'guided in trackways.

24 suitably mounted, on cross braces extending betweenthe side rails; From the chains 2|,the

articles are transferredto the other and shorter of thenconveyors comprising chains =26. which are: trained about suitable sprockets 2I' ona shaft 23 and;smaller sprockets 28 on a shaft-291cm,-

nailed onthe framework of thetrap 13. Chains 26,. also; have their upper stretches supported byf trackways .24. Both chains 2i and 26 *extend abovethe trackway's to engage and support boxes thereon." Adjacent shafts 23 for the respective chains 2 I and-'26 are interconnected by i a chain j and sprocket drive indicated generally, at '30,

- shaiti23 also carrying sprocket that onefend thereof which is'connected bychain'32; with small. sprocket 83' suitably drivenfrom "the electric motor. which .is mounted in a framework g I 35 depending fromlthe side rails; v

From .the above description, it will be apparent that boxesdelivercd to theconveyor are-carried by chains 2| from which they-are discharged onto chains 26'iordeliveryto the trap y ,Inthe event thetrap. is open in deliveringia 4 2 box to the lowerator, or if a box is contained in" the trap orfor: any reason becomes jammed therein; means are provided to automatically stopxi 'the conveyor. until such time-as the t ap is'lefldy to'receive another box, when the conveyor is again automatically placed in operation. Such means includes a device which'ls first operated torendor the conveyor ineifective with respect to a box which is .ready for delivery to the trap, without interfering with the travel of'cther boxes on the conveyor, and which subsequently becomes effective to disable the conveyor drive, if successive boxes have lined up ready for delivery to the trap. Such means preferably comprises a tongue which extends between chains lt andchains 24. and is normally positioned below thelevel of such chains as illustrated in Fig. 1, so that the boxes can travel freely .thereover. The tongue 4| is" pivotally mounted adjacent the feed endof the conveyor by shaft v42 suitably r Journalled in. brackets secured beneath trackways 24. At its f other end, 'tonguen is provided with a bracket portion 43 carrying a pivot pin for a pair of links 44, which extend downwardly, and have'their lower endspivotally connected to an arm 45' seowed on a shaft 44 which is suitably supported in brackets 41 depending from the side rails.

seen in Fig.l;'the arm 45 ispositioned to maintain the tongue below :the level aof the con-' veyor sothat boxes cangtravel freely thereover, and means are provided for oscillating the arm to raise the tongue above the level of the conveyor, such means being controlled by the box in thetrap. At anextending end thereof, shaft 46' carriesaanfarm4l, which is connected bya link 44 with an arm ll'secured at an end ofacontroi shaft lion the trap. Substantially midway between theaides of the-trap, the control shaft ll has a control arm 52 extending downwardly into thetrapand carrying aroller 53 for engagement witha boxentering the trap; The control arm "may be urged to the position shown in Fig. 1 asby suitable spring means (not shown). y when a box enters the trap, the controlarm Ills swung from the position shown in Fig. l to that shown in Fig. 2, whereby, through the connecting linkage, the'arm .45 is similarly actuated to.-lift the end of the tongue above the-"conveyor. This condition of the parts willbe maintained so 45 long as a box is in'the-trap, or is beingideposited pushes it further along the tongue.

from the trap onto the .lowerator, it being'noted that the control arm will beheld in the position thereof shown in- Fig. 2 until the upper edge' of the box passes below the rollerla;v

-..With this condition of the parts, a box which is travelling along on the conveyor chains ii I readyfor deli'veryto the trap will be lifted by the tongue off the conveyor which is thereby rendered ineffective with respect to such box. Howevena succeeding box will be carried along until itcontacts the box which is free from the conveyor and Such-further 1 movement of a box whichhasbeen .liftedoi! the conveyor is utilized to render effective the conveyor arresting means whereby the a conveyor drive is disabled. The tongue 4| carries a depending bracket -l4, (Figs. land 2). having a limit switch ,5! of conventional construction mounted thereon.- From the limit switch, a con- .nection ll extends and is suitably. connected with the motor circuit so that, when the limit switch isoperated, the motor circuit is broken. 'I'o effect this control, the limit switch has a .movably mounted control arm It carrying a projecting skid portion 40 which extends through an aper-" ture It in the tongue, for engagement 'by a box slid along the tongue.

As long as the tongue is positioned as shown in. Fig; 1,-the skid 80 is below thebottom of. the box on the conveyor so'that the mo or-circuit is thereof,'and in connection with a box stacking machine, it is to be understood that the invention not broken. However, when the tongue is lifted as shown in Fig. 2, the skid or switch control arm is also moved to eilective position with reference to a box on the tongue so that the motor circuit will be broken when a box contacts the skid. It

' will be evident also that lowering of the tongue back to the position shown in Fig. 1 will rees tablish the conveyor drive by allowing the control arm t0 resume its normal position below the boxes, and also place the boxes in operative posi- 'tion on the conveyor. This condition obtains whenever the trap is empty. 1 v

If it is desired to stop the operation of the conveyor feed'mechanism at any time, the shaft 44 is providedat one end with a manually operable handle a wherebythetongue can be elevated to interrupt the operation of the feed mechanism.

It will be noted that the entire control of the feed mechanism is effected by engagement with the leading end or the bottom of a box or other articleso that the contents of a box can not'be injured and so that the interruption of move ment of the boxesis effected in a simple yet entle manne hereby the contents wil not be injured. r I

, While 1 have shown and described my inven tion in connection with a preferred embodiment may be embodied in other forms and may be employed in other types ofmachines. Thescope of my invention, therefore, should be limited only by the proper scope and interpretationof the appended claims.

I claim: a

paratus, comprising a conveyor. for delivering articles to said-apparatus, a tongue for lifting an 1. Feed mechanism for an article handling ap article oil said conveyor, means for operating saidconveyor including a switch; a lever carried by said tongue for controlling said switch, and means actuated by an article received "in said ap paratus for raising saidtongue to position-said lever in the pathof a succeeding articleon said tongue. 9

2. Feed mechanism for an article handling apparatus, comprising a conveyor for deliveringarticles to said aparatus, drive means for said con veyor,means for lifting an article on said conveyor to prevent advance thereof-by said conveyor, means controlled by an articlein said ap-t paratus for operating said lifting means, and

means for disabling said drive means including a control member movable into the path of. a succeeding article on said conveyor by'operation of said lifting means. 1, I

3. Feed mechanism for an article handling apparatus having an article station, com-' prising a conveyor for delivering articles to said station, drive means for said conveyor, meansadjacent said station for lifting an article off'said' conveyor to prevent advance thereof by said con veyorymeans controlled by-an article'" at said station for operatingsald lifting means, and means for disabling said drive means including a into and out of the path of a succeeding article on said conveyor;

05 control member movable withsaid lifting'meana :4. Feed mechanism for an article handling apparatus,- comprising a conveyor for delivering articlesjto'said-apparatus, drive means forsaid conveyor, means for lifting article to prevent,

advance'thereof by said conveyor, means con trolled by an article in said apparatus for operating said lifting means, and means for discharge thereof abling said drive means including a controldisabling said drive means including a control member movable with'said lifting means into and out ofthe path of article on said-conveyor.

means.

6. Feeding, means for providinga controlled flow of articles, comprising a conveyor drive means for said conveyor; controllable means for lifting an article or; said conveyor to prevent discharge thereof by said conveyor; and means 1 for disabling said drive means including a control member carried by said lifting means and normally positioned below the-path of articles entrained with said conveyor.

7. Feeding means for providing a controlled flow of articles, comprising a conveyor, a tongue for providing a controlled by said conveyor, and means for 'for lifting an articleoif s'aid conveyor, means for operating said convent including a switch;

and a control lever for said carried by'said tongue and movable therewith into the path of an article lifted by said tongue- 8. Feeding means for providing a controlled flow of articles, comprising a conveyor,atongue for'lifting an article oi! said'conveyon. means for operating said conveyor including a switch; and a control lever for said switch movable by said tongue into andout ofths'path of anarticle on said conveyor.

' 9. In combination, a conveyor adapted to support and move articles thereon,

means at thed'elivery end of said conveyor for actuation by an article delivered from said con- .veyor for raising an article on said conveyor out of contact with said driven members, and conveyor arresting means movable into the path of .an article in raised position on said conveyor by operation of said article raising means.

' Joann: H.

ror delivering 7 articles, said conveyor including driven members v is l 

